Starting device for internal-combustion motors.



L. A. CASGRAIN. STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS. APPLICAITION FILED DEC. 8. 1913v 1,1 7 1,1 '70. Patented Feb. a, 1910.

2 SHEETSSHET I.

L. A. CASGRAIN.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8.19I3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS A. CASH-RAIN, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION MOTORS.

Application filed December 8, 1913.

- and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for Internal-Combustion Motors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art .to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to starting devicesfor internal combustion motors and more particularly to devices of this character which are employed for starting autos mobile motors.

It is highly desirable that some means be provided for starting the motor of an automobile from the seat, thus enabling the operator-to start the motor any time without the necessity of crankin the motor from the front of the car. It 1s furthermore desirable that the mechanism for starting the motor shall be arranged to rotate the crank shaft with a minimum degree of manual effort upon the part ofthe operator.

One object of the pfesent invention is to provide a starting device of an improved form which is simple and compact in its construction and whichmay be readily manipulated with a comparatively slight effort to rotate the crank shaft of the motor.

A further object of the invention is to so construct and arrange the starting device that it may be applied to existing automobile chassis without the necessity of making any substantial changes in the chassis.

With these objects in view the various features of the invention consist in certain novel featuresof construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from thifollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention; Figure 1 is a perspective view representing the front portion of an automobile chassis with the improved starting device applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a detail illustrating a side elevation of the starting mechanism applied to the motor crank shaft; Fig. 3 is a detail showing a'longitudinal section of the starting handle and illustrating the method of supporting the handle where it passes Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

Serial No. 805,298.

through the dash; Fig. 1 is a detail showing a section of the bearing for the starting handle taken in a plane at right angles'to Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a detail illustrating a section upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing the construction of the ratchet and pawl clutch for rotating the crank shaft.

' In the illustrated embodiment of the in vention the starting device is applied to an automobile chassis of a well-known type having a frame 1 in which a motor 2 is suppoi ed and a dash 3 through which the steering column 1 passes. As a large-proportion of these starting devices are ap--- i order to occupy the relatively small vacant space between the motor and the hood of the machine. The efficiency and consequent value of the starting device depends in part upon its adaptability to the existing chassis and also upon the ease with which it may be operated to rotate the crank shaft. In the present construction the starting device is provided with a handle conveniently accessible to the operator from .he seat, a one direction clutch connected to the crank shaft of the motor, an operating arm loosely supported upon the crank shaft and connected with the clutch, and a flexible connection fixedly secured at one end and connected at its opposite end to the starting handle and engaging with the end of the operating arm to .cause a movement of the operating arm in accordance with the? movement of the starting handle. at t is end a starting handle 10 projects frornt e dash into a position conveniently accessible to the operator from the seat and is connected with a rod 12 slidingly supported in a bearing 13 secured to the dash, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The rod 12 is connected at its lower end 'to a flexible connection 14 which is fixedly secured to a bracket 15 at its opposite end and passes over a pulley 17 journaled 'in the end of an arm 18. The bracket 15 is secured to the' frame 1 of the chassis and is provided with an idler roll 20 around which the connection crank shaft 22 of the motor by a pin 23. As shown clearly in Fig. I. of the draw- @5 is termed.

ings, the arm 18 is journaled upon ball bearings 24 which are ad usted and 31121111 tained in pos tion by collars '25 and 2 .3. it may be explained at time that it is usual in this type of chassis to secure a tan pulley to the end of the crank Snail. :42 and that the bearingQl is applied to the crank shaft by removing the fan pulle v and 5rd stituting for it the bear-in 1 shown. which is provided with a similar tan pulle 27. In the illustrated embodiment of the in enti n the arm 18 consists oi'two side members secured together and carrying between them the idler pulley l7 and a pawl -50 fulciumed at 33. The bearing member 21 is provided with two sets of teeth ind cated respectively at 31 and 32 with which the pawl engages upon a movement of the arm in the direc tion of the arrow to rotate the crank shaft. The pawl is normally retained in engagement with the ratchet by a spring ill fulcrumed upon the arm at 3-3 and hearing at one end against the under side of the pawl and at its opposite end against the hearing, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

\Vith this construction, when the opera to? exerts a pull upon the starting handle 10 the flexible connection 14 will be oper- :wsd to rock the arm in the direction of the arrow and partially rotate the crank shaft. It will he further observed. that owing to the fact that one end of the flexible connection is fixedly secured, the pull upon the end of the arm 18 tending to turn it will be double the pull exerted on the starting handlc, thus causing the turning effort applied to the crank shaft to be twice the pull ex erted upon the starting handle, multiplied by the length of the arm 18 when this arm reaches a position normal to the flexible connection. It will he noted that as the arm the torque applied to the cranl; shaft increases. reachingits maximum when the arm is vertical and the piston is at approxin'iately the limit of its compressing movement. This construction provides an extremely simple and efficient method of turning the crank shaft with the application of a minimum amount of etl'ort to the starting handle. l nder ordinar conditions a quarter to a third of a rotation of the crank shaft is suflicicnt to startthe motor as this moves the piston which is on the compression stroke past the point at which the Charge is fired. The movement of the arm in opposi e directions is limited by the casing 37 supported beneath the crank shaft and arranged to engage with the under face oi the arm when in an inoperative position. and with a shoulder 38 formed upon the arm when positioned suhstantiall v in shown in dotted lines in Fig. lit freouentivha pens en hecrans shaft i ro 3 t 1' as it crank shaft. It will be ohvious that this reverse rotation will ause a lilrt movement of the starting d ii no means were ire ano provi ed tor llht'u. igmn tin: striving dchoning;

present constriu'stion mechanism is provided for au'toinaticallv retarding the time at which the firing takes place to prevent this hack-firing; oi" the motor. and in addition. mechanism is provided ior automatically disengaging t operating arni fromv the crank shaft a reverse rotation of thr crank shaft takes place. To this end the arm 18 is provided with a depending, curved finger .0 which is arranged to engage and rock an arm 11 projecting from the usual thus causing the spark to be antinier tfilntltltull) retarded whenever the arm is actuated to rotate the crank shaft. The outer free end of the pawl 30 carries a dog 4'3 which is ruirmallv positioned. as shown in Pig. with its upper end bearing against the flexible connection 1% to retain the pawl out of engagement with the cooperating,- ratchet. in the illustrated embodiment of the invention the flexible connection consists of a link chain which rocks the dog into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 when the chain is moved forward to rock the arm, thus allowing the pawl 30 to engage with its cooperating ratchet. If the crank shaft is r tated in a reverse direction, however. to rock the arm back to its initial position the lower portion of the chain will be moved at twice the speed of the end of the arm. thus causing a relative movement of the chain and arm which returns the dog: to the position shown in full lines Fig. 2 and. disengages the pawl from the ratchet. The dog e3, as shown clearly in Fig. '2, provided with a tail upon its lower end wluch engages with the end of the pawl to maintain the dog in an upright position and keep the pawl out of engagen'ient with the ratchet. This disengaging of the pawl lay the dog): 42% also takes place when the starting handle released to al low the arm to he returned by a tension spring; 47 connecting the arm with a portion of the frame. In order to normally aid inthe return of the dog to its initial position a leaf spring 18 is secured in the arm and is arranged to bear against the un der side of the dog when in its inoperative position. A four cylinder motor XlOI'InfiilY v tops in what is known as a balanced posiion with all of the pistons at approximately the same height. locating: one of the teeth ill in position to he he. oper: ii. the mov "rate o siti'oned that the rocking of the pawl will move the piston which is on the compression stroke past the firing point. It sometimes happens. however. that the motor stops with the piston on the compression stroke lower than normal, positioning the working tooth 31 where it cannot be engaged by the operating pawl. In order to bring the motor back to a balanced position. locating teeth are provided which may he engaged by the pawl to partially rotate the crank shaft and bring it into a position in which the pawl is enabled to engage with the working teeth 31 in the usual manner. To this end a pair of locating teeth 32 are arranged in advance of the working tech at an angle of less than ninety degrees. \Vith this construction, if the pawl cannot engage with the working tooth which is uppermost it is then ad 'anced to engage with the corresponding locating tooth which enables the crank shaft to be turned into a position where the pistons balance and brings the Working tooth into a position where it may be engaged by the operating pawl.

It Will be obvious from the preceding description that the dog 43 will normally serve to disengage the pawl from the ratchet. either when the starting handle is released or when the crank shaft is rotated reversely to its normal direction of rotation. In order to insure the positive ren'ioval of the pawl from the driving ratchet. however. if the dog 43 should fail to operate it will be noted that the chain 14 is provided with an enlarged link 50 which engages with the upper face of the pawl 30 and positively removes the pawl from engagement with the ratchet whenever the chain is retracted. Normally the dog 43 disengages the pawl prior to the movement of the link 50 into an operative position and it is only when the dog fails to operate and the arm 18 has been returned to approximately the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 that the link contacts with the pawl and disengages it from the cooperating ratchet. In order to prevent injury to the spring 34 caused byan undue movement of the pawl about its fulcrum in the arm when the arm and hearing member are removed from the motor a stop member .51 is secured to the under side of the pawl and is provided with a face bearing against the pin 35 to limit the movement of the pawl in this direction.

The starting rod 12 is rectangular in cross section to maintain a fixed operative relation between the rod and chain 14. and the passage in the bearing member. as shown clearly in Figsp3 and 1, is also rectangular in cross section and is tapered in two planes, thus allowinga limited angular movement of the starting rod without cramping it in the bearing 13. The recoil of the starting .handle. either when released, or when the motor back-tires. is cushioned by a coiled spring 53 which is incloscd within a ca ing 54 and interposed bctwcen a olla' sccured to the upper end of the rod 1'3 and the lower end of the casing St. The cas ing 54 is secured at its upper end to the starting handle 10 and loosely surrounds the rod 12. and with this constructi n the spring .33 will yicldwhcn the starting han dle is released or when the motor ba klircs and the casing H engages with the bcul'ing. The spring is light cuough t ordinaiily yield when the piston passe mcr the high est point of compression and when the downward stroke of the piston i" lltlll .'liitl thc spring tends to expand. imparting an ;l 'i"l erated moycment to the piston with the a plication of a continued unil'orm pull to the starting hnndlc. In order to further cushion thc return movcmcnt oi the starting handle a yielding wa her or butter in, is interposed between the lower end ol the 'asing .34 and the bearing 12"). With this construction it will be noted that the operator is enabled to grasp the starting handle and turn it into any position which is most convenient. and the starting handhmay be then movcd in a linear dircction t rotate the crank shaft. which directi n may be varied slightly by swiveling the rod 12 in the hearing if the direction of pull does not coincide exactly with thc longitudinal axis of the rod 12.

'hilc it is preferred to employ the spw citic construction and arrangement of parts shown and described. it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential except so far as specified in the claims and may be changed or modilicd without departing from the broader features of the invention.

Having thus described the invention. what is c aimed is:

1. Jr starting device for internal combustion motors. having in combination. a start ing handle. a one direction clutch adapted to be connected with the crank shaft of the motor. an operating arm supported upon the crank shaft and connected with the clutch. and a flexible connection passing over the end of the opel'atlng arm and fixedly secured at one endalid connected to the start mg handle at its opposite end and arranged to apply double the pull upon the end of the arm that is exerted upon the starting handle.

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